$ B = \left[\begin{array}{rr}5 & 0 \\ -2 & 3 \\ 0 & 1\end{array}\right]$ $ A = \left[\begin{array}{rr}1 & 2 \\ 4 & -2\end{array}\right]$ What is $ B A$ ?
Solution: Because $ B$ has dimensions $(3\times2)$ and $ A$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ , the answer matrix will have dimensions $(3\times2)$ $ B A = \left[\begin{array}{rr}{5} & {0} \\ {-2} & {3} \\ \color{gray}{0} & \color{gray}{1}\end{array}\right] \left[\begin{array}{rr}{1} & \color{#DF0030}{2} \\ {4} & \color{#DF0030}{-2}\end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{rr}? & ? \\ ? & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ To find the element at any row $i$ , column $j$ of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in row $i$ of the first matrix, $ B$ , with the corresponding elements in column $j$ of the second matrix, $ A$ , and add the products together. So, to find the element at row 1, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the first element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the first element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ A$ , then multiply the second element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the second element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ A$ , and so on. Add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{5}\cdot{1}+{0}\cdot{4} & ? \\ ? & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 2, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }2}$ of $ B$ with the corresponding elements in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ A$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{5}\cdot{1}+{0}\cdot{4} & ? \\ {-2}\cdot{1}+{3}\cdot{4} & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 1, column 2 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the corresponding elements in $\color{#DF0030}{\text{column }2}$ of $ A$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{5}\cdot{1}+{0}\cdot{4} & {5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2}+{0}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2} \\ {-2}\cdot{1}+{3}\cdot{4} & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Fill out the rest: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{5}\cdot{1}+{0}\cdot{4} & {5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2}+{0}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2} \\ {-2}\cdot{1}+{3}\cdot{4} & {-2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2}+{3}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2} \\ \color{gray}{0}\cdot{1}+\color{gray}{1}\cdot{4} & \color{gray}{0}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2}+\color{gray}{1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2}\end{array}\right] $ After simplifying, we end up with: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}5 & 10 \\ 10 & -10 \\ 4 & -2\end{array}\right] $